172nd New York State Legislature


The 172nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7, 1959, to April 1, 1960, during the first and second years of Nelson Rockefeller's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1938, re-apportioned in 1953, 58 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts for two-year terms. The senatorial districts consisted either of one or more entire counties; or a contiguous area within a single county. The counties which were divided into more than one senatorial district were Kings, New York, Queens, Bronx, Erie, Nassau, Westchester, Monroe and Onondaga. The Assembly districts consisted either of a single entire county, or of contiguous area within one county.
At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Liberal Party and the Independent-Socialist Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The 1958 New York state election, was held on November 4. Nelson Rockefeller was elected Governor, and Assemblyman Malcolm Wilson was elected Lieutenant Governor, both Republicans, defeating the incumbent Democrats W. Averell Harriman and George B. DeLuca. The elections of the other four statewide elective offices resulted in a Democratic State Comptroller with Liberal endorsement, a Republican Attorney General, a Democratic Court of Appeals judge with Liberal and Republican endorsement, and a Republican U.S. Senator. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor/Lieutenant Governor, was: Republicans 3,127,000; Democrats 2,270,000; Liberals 284,000; and Independent-Socialists 32,000.
Assemblywoman Janet Hill Gordon, a lawyer of Norwich, was elected to the State Senate. The other four women members of the previous legislature—Assemblywomen Bessie A. Buchanan, a retired musical actress and dancer of Harlem; ; Frances K. Marlatt, a lawyer of Mount Vernon; Genesta M. Strong, of Plandome Heights; and Mildred F. Taylor, a coal dealer of Lyons—were re-elected. Aileen B. Ryan, of the Bronx; and Dorothy Bell Lawrence, of Manhattan, both former school teachers, were also elected to the Assembly.
The 1959 New York state election, was held on November 3. The only statewide elective office up for election was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. The senior associate judge, Charles S. Desmond, a Democrat, was elected with Republican and Liberal endorsement. Three vacancies in the State Senate and eight vacancies in the Assembly were filled. Assemblywoman Genesta M. Strong was elected to the State Senate, but did not take her seat in 1960.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the first regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1959; and adjourned on March 25.
Oswald D. Heck was re-elected Speaker. Heck died on May 21, 1959.
Walter J. Mahoney was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate.
The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on July 1, 1959. Majority Leader Joseph F. Carlino was elected Speaker of the Assembly.
The Legislature met for the second regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1960; and adjourned in the early morning of April 1, 1960.

State Senate

Districts

Senators

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Frank Composto, D. Clinton Dominick III, Lawrence M. Rulison and Janet Hill Gordon changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of this Legislature. Assembly members Genesta M. Strong and Hunter Meighan were elected to fill vacancies in the Senate.
Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."
DistrictSenatorPartyNotes
1stElisha T. Barrett*Republican
2ndDaniel G. Albert*Republican
3rdWilliam S. Hults, Jr.*Republicanon April 1, 1959, appointed as Commissioner of Motor Vehicles
3rd*Republicanon November 3, 1959, elected to fill vacancy;
did not take her seat and resigned on January 6, 1960, due to ill health
seat remained vacant throughout the 1960 session
4thEdward J. Speno*Republican
5thJack E. BronstonDem./Lib.
6thIrving Mosberg*Dem./Lib.
7thSeymour R. ThalerDem./Lib.
8thThomas A. Duffy*Dem./Lib.
9thThomas J. Mackell*Dem./Lib.
10thHerbert I. Sorin*Dem./Lib.on September 18, 1959, appointed as a City Magistrate
10thSimon J. LiebowitzDemocraton November 3, 1959, elected to fill vacancy
11thWalter E. Cooke*Dem./Lib.
12thJeremiah B. Bloom*Dem./Lib.
13thFrank Composto*Dem./Lib.
14thWilliam T. Conklin*Republican
15thFrank J. Pino*Dem./Lib.
16thWilliam Rosenblatt*Dem./Lib.
17thSamuel L. Greenberg*Dem./Lib.
18thHarry Gittleson*Dem./Lib.
19thJohn J. Marchi*Republican
20thMacNeil Mitchell*Republican
21stJames Lopez Watson*Dem./Lib.
22ndJohn P. Morrissey*Dem./Lib.
23rdJoseph Zaretzki*Dem./Lib.Minority Leader
24thJoseph R. Marro*Dem./Lib.
25thJohn H. Farrell*Dem./Lib.
26thHarry Kraf*Democrat
27thJacob H. Gilbert*Democraton March 8, 1960, elected to the 86th U.S. Congress
28thNathaniel T. Helman*Democraton November 8, 1960, elected to the City Court
29thJoseph F. Periconi*Republicanon April 14, 1960, appointed to the New York City Transit Authority
30thFrank S. McCullough*Republicanin 1959, appointed as County Judge of Westchester Co.
30thHunter Meighan*Republicanon November 3, 1959, elected to fill vacancy
31stGeorge W. CornellRepublican
32ndWilliam F. Condon*Republican
33rdD. Clinton Dominick III*Republican
34thE. Ogden Bush*Republican
35thErnest I. Hatfield*Republican
36thJulian B. Erway*Dem./Lib.
37thAlbert Berkowitz*Republican
38thOwen M. Begley*Dem./Lib.
39thGilbert T. Seelye*Republican
40thRobert C. McEwen*Republican
41stWalter Van Wiggeren*Republican
42ndFred J. Rath*Republican
43rdHenry A. Wise*Republican
44thLawrence M. Rulison*Republican
45thJohn H. Hughes*Republican
46thJanet Hill Gordon*Republican
47thWarren M. Anderson*Republican
48thGeorge R. Metcalf*Republican
49thHarold A. Jerry, Jr.Republican
50thDutton S. Peterson*Republican
51stFrank E. Van Lare*Republican
52ndA. Gould Hatch*Republicanon November 8, 1960, elected Clerk of Monroe County
53rdAustin W. Erwin*RepublicanChairman of Finance
54thEarl W. Brydges*Republican
55thWalter J. Mahoney*Republicanre-elected Temporary President
56thFrank J. GlinskiDemocrat
57thJohn H. Cooke*Republican
58thGeorge H. Pierce*RepublicanChairman of Judiciary

Employees

Assemblymen

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."

Employees